A Morning Prayer for St Patrick’s Day
from radioalba.org
A short Reading from The Confession of St Patrick
I saw in a vision of the night a man who seemed to be coming from Ireland, carrying many letters. His name was Victorinus. He gave one of them to me and I read the opening lines, which were, ‘The voice of the Irish.’ While I was reading I thought I heard the voices of the people who live by the wood of Voclut, which is by the western sea. They cried as with one voice, ‘We ask you, son, to come and walk once more among us.’ I was heart-broken at this, and could read no further, and so I woke up. Years later, thanks be to God, the Lord granted them what they had asked.
So it came about that Ireland, a land filled with people who never had the knowledge of God, but worshipped idols and other foul objects, now had a people of the Lord who are called the children of God.
O God, come to our aid: O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father, glory to the Son,
Glory to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.
Let us pray
Father of us all,
who chose St Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish
so that they might become children of the Most High God,
grant that with the support of his prayers,
we may all be bearers of the Good News
and living witnesses in all the churches
to your love for the whole human family
and your care for all of creation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Psalm 138: I thank you for the wonder of my being, I thank you.
O Lord, you search me and you know me, you know my resting and my rising, you discern my purpose from afar. You mark when I walk or lie down, all my ways lie open to you. I thank you for the wonder of my being, I thank you.
For it was you who created me, knit me together in my mother’s womb. I thank you for the wonder, the wonder of my being. All my ways lie open to you.
I thank you for the wonder of my being, I thank you.
Already you knew my soul, my body held no secrets from you when I was being fashioned secretly and moulded in the depths of the earth. All my ways lie open to you. I thank you for the wonder of my being, I thank you.
A reading from the Prophet Jeremiah 1:4-9
Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak,
for I am only a youth.”
But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, `I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord.”
Then the Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth;
and the Lord said to me,
“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth”.
The Word of the Lord
The Benedictus:verse 1
Blest be the Lord the God of Israel,
who came to us and brought us back from sin.
God raised for us a Saviour who is mighty,
his Saviour-Son from David’s house and line.
God promised this through holy men and women
who spoke for him down through the mists of time.
Intercessions
Christ the good shepherd laid down his life for his sheep.
Let us praise him with grateful hearts as we pray:
Glory be to God who has shown us the light.
Christ our Lord, in holy pastors you reveal your love for us.
May we never be deprived of the care you show through them:
Glory be to God who has shown us the light.
You are present in our midst as the shepherd of our souls.
Never cease to guide us and our pastors
Glory be to God who has shown us the light.
In the saints who have led your people you have shown
your power of healing. Remain always with us to renew our lives.
Glory be to God who has shown us the light.
By the example of St Patrick and the saints you show us how to follow you.
Help us all to grow in goodness.
Glory be to God who has shown us the light.
Our Father, who art in heaven . . . . . . .
I arise today in the might of heaven,
Brightness of sun, whiteness of snow,
Splendour of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of sea,
Stability of earth, firmness of rock.
God’s legions to save me
To protect me from snares of the demons
From evil enticements from failings of nature
From one man or many that seek to destroy me, nearby or afar.
May the God of hope fill us with every joy in believing. Amen
May the peace of Christ abound in our hearts. Amen
May the Holy Spirit enrich us with the great gifts
now and for ever. Amen.
Hail, glorious Saint Patrick
Hail, glorious Saint Patrick, dear saint of our isle,
on us thy poor children bestow a sweet smile;
and now thou art high in thy mansions above ,
on Erin’s green valley look down in thy love.
On Erin’s green valley (3) look down in thy love.
Hail, glorious Saint Patrick! Thy words were once strong
Against Satan’s wiles and an infidel throng;
Not less in thy might where in heaven thou art;
O, come to our aid, in our battle take part.
O, come to our aid,(3) in our battle take part.
In the war against sin, in the fight for the faith,
dear saint, may thy children resist unto death;
may their strength be in meekness, in penance, in prayer
their banner the Cross which they glory to bear.
their banner the Cross (3) which they glory to bear.
Copyrights and acknowledgements: Collect based on a prayer from the Breviary of Armagh. Psalm 137: Words ãThe Grail. Music of Ps 137 and of O God and Glory to the Father (c) Gerry Fitzpatrick. Version of the Benedictus (verse 1) © Stephen E Smyth FMS. Graphics © Netta Ewing. Passage from The Confessions of St Patrick, Intercessions and blessing read by Sr Pat Graham SND; the reading from the prophet Jeremiah read by Brother Stephen E Smyth FSM. Collect read by Mgr Gerry Fitzpatrick. Music sung by members of the St Mungo Singers; Psalm 138 sung by Grace Buckley. Music reproduced under licence: Calamus lic: 0262 and CCL lic no: 74396
